Lucknow : The cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, today took several important decisions including hike in the salary and allowances...

Lucknow : The cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, today took several important decisions including hike in the salary and allowances of the legislators, approval of exorbitant Rs 25,000 crore supplementary budget, approval of DPR of Allahabad metro and nod to the proposed Samajwadi Expressway from Lucknow to Ballia through (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) EPC mode. The annoyed State minister Shivpal Singh Yadav, uncle of the Chief Minister, skipped the crucial cabinet meeting. He was in Moradabad, attending a function to distribute Kanya Vidya Dhan. The Chief Minister refused to speak on the controversial issue after the meeting. He claimed that the Samajwadi Party government will retain power in the state with its development agenda. The CM also announced that some of the new ministers who could not take oath earlier, would be doing the same very soon. The Cabinet meeting approved the long pending demand of the legislators to hike their salaries and allowances. According to sources, the salaries of the legislators have been hiked by around 40 per cent and would be at par with some other states.

The new wages and perks would be applicable after the amendment in the Act in the state legislature, slated to meet for the Monsoon session commencing from August 22. The government also approved a new legislation for allotment of bunglows for ex-chief ministers and others after the Supreme Court quashed the government order of 1997 and thereafter. The UP government also approved around Rs 25,000 crore supplementary budget to be passed in the Monsoon session of the state legislature. The government also approved the ambitious Samajwadi Expressway from Lucknow to Ballia through EPC mode, for which Rs 5000 crore have been earmarked in the supplementary budget. The state government also approved the new Apartment Act besides giving its nod to provide free school bags to the students from class one to eight in government schools. After approval of Kanpur and Varanasi Metros, the state government gave its nod to Allahabad Metro DPR. The other decisions of the state cabinet were setting up of a cultural centre at the Kaifi Azmi Academy, multi-level parking at Jawahar and Indira Bhawans in Lucknow and free land for construction of 132 KVA sub-station in Rampur.